Culture of Cirebon

Topeng Dance

2013-03-21T14:07:00.002+07:00

Topeng Dance

Topeng Dance ( Topeng is indonesian for "mask") is a local original art of Cirebon. In the traditional life of the people of Cirebon.

Topeng Dance are usually closely associated with traditional performance art, at every celebration, marriage, circumcision, memitu (mitoni), puput pusar, gusaran and khaul / kaulan and so on, mask performances are always side by side with the Wayang show (puppet). Topeng dance during the day and night Wayang show (puppet) Linkages between the mask and puppet traditions have a reason, that everyone who wants to be a good Dalang (puppeteer) must also have mask dances to the play / dance puppets looks steady.

Among cultivators Cirebon mask there is an assumption that the mask was created by Nurkalam or Sunan Demak. Another assumption states that the mask is the creation of Sunan Kalijaga. In this show there are still old beliefs embodied in the form of offerings and burning incense.

Cirebon mask performances, no matter where they are, have the order of presentation are generally the same and could serve as the main feature. The order of presentation are:

1) Panji Mask

2) Mask Pamindo / Samba

3) Mask Rumyang

4) Tumenggung / duke, followed by a dance Tumenggung War vs. Jinggaanom

5) Mask Klana / Rowana.

Except in Panji Mask, mask any appearance interspersed always bodoran (joke). Dancing character most associated with the woman, for example, Panji Mask soft character, Mask Pamindo / Samba character ganjen (agile), Mask character of Rumyang is ganjen (agile, ladak) but not agile as Pamindo Mask. Mask Tumenggung / duke gallant character; and Mask Klana / Rowana rugged manly character.

Judging from the patterns of traditional performances and based on the motivation of people who have the events, there are three kinds of patterns show, dinaan (performances mask celebration), mask in communal ceremonies (welcome the visitors, Ngarot, Sedekah Bumi, Mapag Sri and others) and mask bebarang (ngamen).

One other type of mask dance is a mask dance Kelana Kencana Wungu is a series of mask dance style Parahyangan which tells about Queen Kencana Wungu was being chased by an infatuated Prabu Minakjingga craziest her. Basically each mask which represents each character describes the human disposition. Kencana Wungu, with a blue mask, representing the character of a lively yet graceful. Minakjingga (also called wanderers), with a red mask represents the character-tempered, and impatient tempramental. This dance masterpiece Nugraha Soeradiredja.

Hand and body movements are graceful, and musical accompaniment dominated by kendang (Drums) and rebab, is another hallmark of mask dance.
Mask Dance Arts is still exist learned in dance studios there, and still often performed at formal occasions region, or in other areas of traditional moments.
One is a mask dance maestro Mimi Rasinah, active dancing and teaching art in the studio Mask Dance "Tari Topeng Mimi Rasinah" located in the Pekandangan village, Indramayu, Indramayu.
Since 2006, Mimi Rasinah had been paralyzed, but he was still eager to dancing and teaching dance mask until the end, Mimi Rasinah died in August 2010 at the age of 80 years

Location: District of Losari, Slangit, Gegesik and Kreo.
Galleries (Click the Image to enlage) :

Empal Gentong

2013-03-20T21:50:00.001+07:00

Empal Gentong

Empal Gentong is typical food from Cirebon. This food is simillar with the curry (Gulai : Indonesia) and cooked using firewood (Mango Tree) in the barrel (clay pot). The meat used is the intestines, tripe and beef. Empal Gentong came from the village Battembat, Tengah Tani district, Cirebon regency.

Beside using firewood and barrel, food is served using chives (Chlorella sorokiniana) and Sambal Kering (chilli dry milled). Empal Gentong can be served with rice or Lontong (rice cake) too. Lontong is rice which inserted into a banana leaf that has formed cylinders, no other mixture, then boiled for 4 hours. One Empal Gentong shop that you can visit is Empal Gentong Mang Darma JL. Slamet Riyadi no. 1, Krucuk - Cirebon.

Here the receipe you can try at your kitchen.

Ingredients:

500 g beef brisket
500 g cow innards (tripe, lungs, intestines)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 stalk lemongrass, crushed
1 bay leaf
3 grains of pimento
500 ml fresh milk

Grind ingredients bellow :

5 grains of red onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tea spoons pepper granules
2 cm turmeric
1/2 cm ginger
2 tsp salt

Topping:

Chili powder
Leaves, chives, sliced
Fried Shallots

Steps:

Boiled beef and offal separately until tender. Drain, cut beef and Jeron small and thin. Set aside the broth.
Saute the grind spices until fragrant.
Add lemongrass, bay leaves, cloves and stir until fragrant.
Remove and put in a pot, put beef broth and coconut milk, bring to a boil.
Enter the cuts of meat and offal. Cook over low heat until boiling and pervasive.
Serve hot with a topping.

Kasepuhan Palace

2013-03-20T21:15:00.000+07:00

Kasepuhan Palace

Kasepuhan palace is the grandest and most preserved palace in Cirebon. Meaning in every corner of the palace architecture was also known for the historic. The front page is surrounded by walls palace of red brick and there is a hall inside.

This palace has a museum that is complete and contains heirlooms and paintings of the royal collection. One of the sacred collections is train Singa Barong. This train is no longer used and only issued on each first Shawwal to be bathed.

The interior of the palace consists of a main building which is white. In it there is a living room, bedroom and throne of the king.

History

Kasepuhan palace was founded in 1529 by Prince Mas Mochammad Arifin II who replaced the throne of Sunan Gunung Jati in 1506. He lives in Dalem Agung Pakungwati, Cirebon. Kasepuhan palace formerly named Kraton Pakungwati Kasepuhan, while the title of Prince Mas Mochammad Arifin is Panembahan Pakungwati I. The name of Pakungwati comes from the name of the Queen Dewi Pakungwati daughter of Prince Cakrabuana who married Sunan Gunung Jati. She died in 1549 in the "Great Mosque Sang Cipta Rasa" . Her name is enshrined and glorified by Sunan Gunung Jati lineage as the name Pakungwati Pace now called Kasepuhan.

In front of the palace there Kesepuhan square in ancient times called Sangkala Buana square which houses a military exercise held on Saturday or the term at the time was Saptonan. And in this square was formerly held a variety of penalties against any of the people who break the rules like flogging. In the west there is a Masjid Sultan kasepuhan quite magnificent work of the trustees is the "Great Mosque Sang Cipta Rasa".

Meanwhile, in the east of the plaza that formerly was a market economy - is now a very famous kesepuhan market with the poci (name of teapot). The model forms palace facing north with building the mosque on the west and east and the market square in the middle is the palace models at that time mainly located in coastal areas. Even now, this model is widely followed by all districts / cities, especially in Java, in front of government buildings are square and to the west there is a mosque.

Before entering the gate Kasepuhan palace complex there are two Pendopo (Marquee), to the west of the previously called Pancaratna a gathering place for palace courtier, headman or the civil service today is called. While the east is called Pancaniti pavilion which houses the palace when the officers holding military exercises in the square.

Singa Barong Train

Entering the palace complex on the left there is a fairly tall building with solid brick walls around it. The building is named Siti Inggil or cirebon people said lemah duwur are the high ground. True to its name this building was very tall and looks like a temple complex at the time of Majapahit. The building was founded in 1529, during the reign of Sheikh Sharif Hidayatullah (Sunan Gunung Jati).

In the front yard there Siti Inggil rectangular stone table place to relax. This building is an outbuilding that was made in the 1800s. Siti Inggil has two gate with stylized motifs architect moment Majapahit controled. At the north gate called Gapura Adi, while in the south called Gapura Banteng. Below the Gapura Banteng (bull gate ) there are Candra Sakala with the inscription Kuta Bata Tinata Banteng which if interpreted is year 1451 saka which is the year of manufacture (1451 Saka = 1529 Bc).

The north wall of the complex, while Siti Inggil pristine south've never experienced restoration / renovation. On the walls of Siti Inggil complex there are plates and porslens from Europe and the country of China with the year of manufacture 1745 Bc. In the complex there are 5 Siti Inggil building without walls that has a name and its own function. The main building, located in the center named Malang Semirang with a number of the major pillars that symbolize the 6 pillars of faith and add up the entire pole totaling 20 pieces representing 20 attributes of Allah SWT.

This building is place the sultan saw military exercises or see the execution of the sentence. The building to the left of the main building named Pendawa Lima which have five pillars who symbolize of Islam Principle. The building is a place where sultan bodyguards. The Buiding right of the main building named Semar Tinandu with 2 poles which symbolize Two Sentence Creed. This building is where advisors Sultan / Penghulu. Behind the main building named Mande Pangiring which is where the Sultan bridesmaids, while the building beside mande pangiring is Karasemen Mande, this place is a bridesmaid tetabuhan / gamelan (One of Musical Instrument of Cirebon). In the building is still used to ring Gamelan Sekaten (Gong Sekati), the orchestra sounded only 2 times a year ie Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. In addition to 5 buildings without walls are also a kind of stone monument called Linga Yoni which is a symbol of fertility. Linga mean the male and Yoni mean female. The building is derived from the Hindu culture. And on top of the wall around Siti Inggil complex there are Candi Laras (Laras Temple) for harmonization of Sitti Inggil complex.

Cirebon

2013-03-20T17:18:00.002+07:00

Kasepuhan Cirebon

Cirebon ( pronounced "Cheer-e-bon" ) or in his ancient name Grage which came from the words "Negara Gede", meaning "Great Kingdom." is the city in the North Coast of Java Island, close to the border of West Java and Central Java. Because of this, Cirebonese have their own dialects, bearing elements of Sundanese and Javanese.

As a coast city, fishing is an important of traditional way of livelihood. For the big catch of Shrimps, Cirebon is by named Kota Udang or the Shrimp City. Currently, Cirebon expanded his facilities to full fill his roles as a: Harbour City , Industry City, Trade City and Tourism & Cultures City.

Cirebon (formerly referred to as Cheribon in English) is a port city on the north coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is located in the province of West Java near the provincial border with Central Java, approximately 297 km east of Jakarta, at 6°43′S 108°34′E. The urban core of Cirebon is very small in extent, however, its dense suburbs sprawl into the regency.

Cirebon regency consists of 40 districts, which are subdivided over 412 villages and 12 urban villages. Cirebon district administrative center in the District Sumber, which is in the southern city of Cirebon. Three new districts formed in 2007 is the District Jamblang (Expansion District of east Klangenan), District Suranenggala (Expansion District of south Kapetakan), and District Greged (Expansion District of Beber).

Cirebon Train Station.

Cirebon is one of the most densely populated regency in West Java. Cirebon regency population continues to grow, however from census to census, the average trend growth rate from census to census population increasingly slowed. In the year 1980 the population numbered 1,331,690 Cirebon regency new people and in 1990 recorded 1,648,021 people. Ten years later in 2000 the District of Cirebon to 1,931,068 people. Preliminary results of the data processing-L1.P212 SP2010, SP2010-C2, and SP2010-L2 (condition July 15, 2010) amounted to 2,065,142 souls to the composition of inhabitants 1,057,501 men and 1,007,641 women inhabitants.

According to provisional results of the Population Census figures Indonesia 2010, District Sumber is a region with a population of 80,914 at the most, namely the soul and the next is the District Gunungjati as many as 77,712 inhabitants. While the region with a population of at least Cirebon district is the District Pasaleman as many as 24,912 people and as many as 26,554 lives Karangwareng District.

Cirebon City is a nice and beautiful city in the North Coast of java Island. Close to the border of West Java and central Java. Most people in Cirebon live from trade sector and work in harbour, government, private sectors as in home industry batiks and rattans, oil industry, automotive industry, cement industry, and as a fisherman as a traditional livelihood.

In this blog i will introduced you how beautiful Cirebon